I grew up playing soccer and surfing in the south of Sydney. Cronulla, to be exact. So how on earth did I end up married with 2 kids, a mortgage, and permanent residency in Japan now I'm in my 40s?
I finished at Sydney University in my mid-20s and immediately left for adventure in S.E. Asia. After almost a year there I somehow ended up in South Korea, working at uni there. I stayed there a few years then returned to Australia and started getting creative. But the yearning for travel still hadn't quite expired, so off I went again at 31 to a new adventure in Japan. I've been here since.
In that time I've fallen in love, married, finished my Ph.D, had 2 kids, bought a house, and become a permanent resident. I love it here in the deep SW countryside. It ain't Tokyo, that's for sure. Think forests, volcanic mountains, semi-tropical climate, and waves. Lots and lots of waves.
And that's what keeps me here. The proximity to the ocean. It's where I can indulge my two loves in life: surfing and photography. I surf for release and I take photos for expression. I also teach photography at university and am now a senior writer for Fstoppers, one of the internet's biggest photography sites.
So what will you get on this site? Lots of photos, and lots of me talking about photography and life as a guy from Sydney living the dream in a humble little surf town in Japan.
Cheers,
Iain